Overhead garage door keeper



Aug. 19, 1947. c. H. Rlx 2,426,052

OVERHEAD GARAGE DOOR KEEPER Filed Dec'. 31, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l 57. 2IN VEN TOR @bar/e5 /74 Fix Aug. 19, 1947.

C. H. RIX

OVERHEAD GARAGE DOOR KEEPER Filed Dec. 31, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Il! IWj ATTO EY Patented Aug. 19, 1947 UNITED STATES FATENT CFFICE OVERHEADGARAGE DOOR KEEPER Charles H. Rx, Storm Lake, Iowa Application December31, 1943, Serial No. 516,578

(Cl. ZIJ-19) 1 Claim. 1

My invention pertains to a device usable with garage doors.

An object of my invention is to provide a retaining member or keeperpositioned at the proper location which member will automaticallysecurely maintain the central door portions against the frame when thedoor is closed, and in the same manner will correct any tendency ofwarpage or sagging in the door which normally occurs in Wider doors atthe central portions thereof.

A further object of my invention is to pr'ovide a retaining memberwhich, besides correcting the aforesaid sagging tendency, will alsoapply a firm downward pressure on a vertically positioned door so thatthe spring tension is maintained at its most efficient length, thisfeature pertaining to the spring urged type of garage door which isforced upwardly and to a horizontal position.

A further object of my invention is to provide an automatic device whichis very simple in structure, thereby not requiring replacements of itsparts, and which will operate uniformly and satisfactorily withoutattention.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which applies a firm pressure or tension against the uppercentral portion of the door so that it will abut snugly against theadjacent portions of the door frame.

With these and other objects in View, my invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement, and combination of the Various parts of mydevice, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinaftermore fully set forth, pointed out in my claim, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in Which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a substantially wide garage door as itappears from the inside of a garage,

Figure 2 is a sectional View of Figure 1 taken along the lines 2 2thereof,

Figure 3 is a forward detail view of the retaining member or keeper,

Figure 4 is a sectional view of Figure 3 taken along the lines 4 4thereof,

Figure 5 is a sectional view of Figure 3 taken along the lines 5 5thereof,

Figure 6 is a forward elevation of a modification, and

Figure 7 is a sectional view of Figure 6 taken along the lines 'I Ithereof.

My invention contemplates principally the provision of a device, or anymodification of such device which will automatically apply pressureagainst the upper central portion of a slidable garage door, and againstthe frame of the door adjacently thereto, when the door is brought downfrom its horizontal to its Vertical position. My invention alsocontemplates the feature of applying pressure downwardly parallel to thedoor itself when in such Vertical position, and maintaining suchpressure.

I have used the character I0 to designate the several sections of anoverhead type of garage door which sections are joined by means of thehinges I I, it being understood, however, that the device about to beexplained can be attached to a solid door without the sectionalformation. The character I2 designates the two outer channels throughwhich suitable rollers, which are attached to the sections I IJ, pass inorder to raise the door to its horizontal position or to cause it to beguided to its vertical position. The channels i2 include verticalportions I3 and the substantially horizontal portions I4 and attached atI5 to suitable brackets I6 are the springs Il which are attached to thepulleys i8 about which pulleys pass the cables I9 which cables I Q passabout the stationary pulleys 20, the cables I9 thence passing downwardlyto the bottom of the door, it being understood that there are a pair ofsuch springs, pulleys, etc., one group for each channel. The pulleys 20are suitably braced by means of the member 2| and the cable I9 isattached at 22. The door consisting of the sections I is locked by meansof the rotatable member 23 to which are attached eccentrically at 25 thelocking bars 25 which engage suitable slots within the channels I2 tolock the door.

The details of the keeper member are necessarily shown smaller inFigures l and 2 in order to show their relationship with the door,however Figures 3 to 7 show considerably enlarged details and illustratethe function of the arrangement. The tension member comprises a pair ofbrackets 26 which are attached by means of the fiat head machine screws21 directly at the center of the door which brackets extend asubstantial distance upwardly and which brackets include the innerflanges 28 which flanges include the horizontal slots 29, and receivedwithin the slots 29 is the horizontal shaft or pin 3B upon which isrotatably mounted the roller 3i. Extending from the flanges 28 are thefurther horizontal flanges 32 which are firmly secured at the top 33 ofthe door Iii. The ends of the shaft 30 include the small indentation 34in which is received the vertical portion 35 of the coiled spring 36which coiled spring terminates in the portion 3l which again extendsinto the horizontal portion at 38 which is received Within either one ofthe openings 39 or 40, which openings are located in the verticalflanges 28.

The coiled spring member 36 is held in position by means of the plates4| which are secured by means of the nuts and bolts 42. Attachedsecurely between the bracket members 26 is a keeper which includes thelower portion 43y which portion 43 is recessed within the central doorframe portion 44 to provide a flush surface and which portion 43 is heldby means of the wood screws 44a. The portion 43 extends into the furtherarcuate portion at 45, the curvature of which is adapted to snuglyreceive the roller 3|, the portion 45 extending into the inwardly bentportion 46 which portion 46 then continues into the integral outwardlybent portion 41 which portion 41 is bent to a suitable angle andcurvature toproperly receive the roller 3|. A pair of slots such as at48 can be eut in the anges 28 so that the device can be adjusted forvarious door thicknesses by moving the lower attaching portion which isindicated by the character 49 outwardly and bending at 58.

The device operates in the following manner. It will be noted that thebracket members 26 which support the roller 3| etc. are mounted on thedoor itself, while the keeper member 41 etc. is attached to the frame.Figure 2 shows the door in its horizontal position, as indicated by thedotted lines and in such a position the tendency is for the door to sagin the central portions thereof, and this sagging tendency is morenoticeable in correspondingly wider doors, thus requiring substantiallyheavier doors and bracing to correct any tendency for such sagging.However, regardless of the strength of the door, there is a pronouncedtendency for sagging which if not corrected will cause a certain amountof curvature of the door and warpage, which will cause mis-alignmentwith the balance of the structure and faulty operation, and will alsocause the objectionable feature of an open portion at the top of thedoor when the door is closed.

However, as will be explained, it will be noted that a relatively lightdoor can be employed with the retaining members correcting any saggingwhile the door is in its vertical position. As thc door is pulled overtoward its vertical position the rollers will travel along the channelportions I4 and then the channel portions I3 and toward the terminationof its travel the members 2S and the roller 3| will occupy the positionshown substantially by the dotted lines in Figure 4 with the roller 3|being positioned between the member 41 and the frame. As the doorreaches its true vertical position the roller 3| will start to contactthe member 41 whereby spring tension will be exerted against the shaft38 due to the springs 35, and the roller 3l will then travel down to theposition shown by the solid lines in Figure 4 where it will snap intothe arcuate portion 45 of the keeper. The tension thus applied againstthe keeper is transmitted to the upper portion of the door I8 andagainst the portion 44 of the frame thereby providing a, tightengagement at the central portion of the door, and at the same timesince the roller 3| is locked against upward movement by means of theportion 45, the pressure is thus maintained downwardly against the doorso that it will be kept in its lowest position. This latter feature isimportant in that it maintains the tension in the springs |1 so thatwhen the door is unlocked the tension will be still maintained so thatthe door .can be readily lifted toward its horizontal position.Otherwise, if the door is unlocked and it starts to travel upwardly aslight distance, the eiort to raise the door must be considerablyincreased since the maximum spring tension will not be applied. In thepresent instance, however, all that is necessary is a slight pullupwardly so that the roller 3| will be forced out of engagement with thearcuate portion 45 and past the portion 46.

It will be thus noted that the device provides that feature ofmaintaining a tight closure in the central portions of the door withrespect to the frame and provides the feature of correcting `saggingetc. as above described.

The arrangement can be made of any suitable material providing aresilient effect is obtained and-could be provided in modified forms, itbeing understood that the principle, however is the same. Figure 6illustrates a further modication wherein the brackets 26 are replaced bymeans of a pair of leaf spring members 5| which are attached by means ofthe screws 52 to the door top which spring members 5| include the curledportions 52a which receive a pin 53 upon which is mounted the centralroller 54. In this type of structure the resilient effect is obtainedthrough the members 5|, the keeper 41 etc. being the same. The openings39 and 49 are provided so that the tension of the spring 35 can beadjusted, wherein placing of the portions 38 in the opening 40 willincrease the tension of the coil spring.

It will now be seen that I have provided the various advantages statedin the objects of my invention with further advantages being readilyapparent.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of theparts of my invention without departing from the real spirit and purposeof my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claim anymodified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which maybe reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as myinvention:

In combination with an overhead type garage door and a garage doorframe, a roller attached at the upper central portion of said garagedoor, a keeper attached to said frame, said keeper including an indentedportion for receiving said roller whereby tension against said keeperwill cause snug abutment of the upper central portion of the dooragainst the adjacent frame portion, upstanding brackets attached to thedoor at the upper central portion thereof, said roller being positionedbetween said brackets, a shaft upon which said roller is mounted, saidupstanding brackets having slots receiving the ends of said shaft,springs bearing against the shaft ends, said keeper member including anangular portion extending angularly from said frame adapted to receiveand guide said roller thereon into said indented portion when the dooris closed.

CHARLES H. RIX.

REFERENCES CTED The following references are of record in the le of thispatent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,857,756` Headley May 10, 19322,124,969 Bagley et al July 26, 1938 2,040,080 Collins May 12, 1936162,930 Knapp May 4, 1875

